Faculty & Staff

Dorothy Vogel

A faculty member at Northwestern Michigan College since 1996, Dr. Vogel teaches music theory, sight singing and ear training, class piano, and applied piano. Vogel also teaches on the summer piano faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp and maintains a large independent piano studio in Traverse City, Michigan. She holds a B.M. in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory, an M.M. in piano performance from Western Michigan University, and a D.M.A. in Music Education from Boston University. Her research articles have been published in peer-reviewed periodicals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, and American Music Teacher. Nationally certified, she is also active in the Michigan Music Teachers Association as an executive board member, adjudicator, and guest lecturer. Previously, Vogel served on the faculties of Hope College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, as staff accompanist at Western Michigan University, Hope College, and Interlochen for the Arts, and as a dissertation proposal mentor for the music education department at Boston University. She is currently principal pianist for the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and frequently performs chamber music in the Midwest area.

DAVID HUSSER

Class Piano, Applied Piano

Originally from Malden, Illinois, David Husser received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2006, earning his Master of Music Education degree with an emphasis in piano pedagogy. David currently lives in Traverse City, Michigan, where he maintains a private piano studio. Since moving to Michigan in 2006, he has worked as an accompanist for the choirs of Traverse City West Senior High School. He is a member of the music faculty at Northwestern Michigan College, where he teaches group piano classes and applied piano lessons. During the summer, he teaches at Interlochen Arts Camp as a member of the piano faculty. He also collaborates as a pianist with many individuals and organizations, and composes music for piano and for various vocal ensembles.

Jack Conners

MIILLIKEN AUDITORIUM TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, AUDIO TECH FACULTY

Jack Conners has worked in professional audio for more than 40 years as studio recording engineer, live sound mixer, sound designer, technician and music producer. Artists he has worked with include the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, violinist Joshua Bell, the Berlin Philharmonic, and drummer Peter Erskine. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI in 1992. Jack currently serves as Chief Engineer at Interlochen Public Radio, teaches audio technology at Northwestern Michigan College, and operates Perfect World Studios, an audio services company in Traverse City, MI.

Scott Sorenson

Theory of Music, Sight Singing & Ear Training, Applied Trumpet

Scott Sorenson holds Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in music education from the University of Minnesota and Luther College. Currently, Dr. Sorenson teaches music theory, sight singing/ear training, and trumpet at Northwestern Michigan College. He has also served on the music faculties of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Hong Kong International School, University of Minnesota, Burnsville Public Schools (MN), and Traverse City Public Schools. Dr. Sorenson is the author of over one hundred published articles, reviews, conference synopses, and orchestral program notes. He has held the positions of associate editor, assistant editor, and recording/music reviews’ editor for the Journal of the International Trumpet Guild. Dr. Sorenson’s music editions are published by Shawnee Press, Southern Music, International Music Company, Concordia Publishing House, and Denver Brass. Additionally, he holds the position of second trumpet with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and is past principal trumpet of the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Sorenson is also the program annotator for the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and is past chair of the orchestra’s players’ committee. During the summers, Sorenson pursues his interest in long distance wilderness canoeing. In 2012, he completed a 650-mile solo circumnavigation of Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park and Minnesota’s Boundary Waters – the first to undertake this lengthy route.

Laurie Sears

Applied WINDS, Director of Jazz Bands

Laurie Marino Sears, saxophone and woodwinds, is currently Director of Jazz Bands and an Adjunct Instructor of Woodwinds at Northwestern Michigan College. Laurie is also on the faculty of the Interlochen College of Creative Arts Adult Band Camp, and she maintains a studio of private students in the Traverse City, Michigan area. Laurie has also taught saxophone and chamber music at Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen Arts Camp and Grand Valley State University. Band directing experience includes Traverse City West Junior High School and Traverse City Christian School. While in the Chicago area, Laurie directed the Jazz Ensemble and was an Adjunct Instructor of Woodwinds and Jazz at Columbia College, Concordia University Chicago and Triton College. Laurie performs with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Broadway Grand Rapids (DeVos Hall) and Broadway Wharton (Wharton Center, East Lansing). In addition to leading her own jazz quartet, she performs in concert and at festivals with other jazz artists throughout the state of Michigan. She is a member of Building Bridges With Music, presenting school concerts and workshops, in addition to being an adjudicator for the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association. Her performance experience in the Chicago area included the Ravinia Festival, the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Broadway shows and musical theater productions. A few of the many jazz and pop entertainers that she has shared the stage with include Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Julie Andrews, Liza Minelli, Smokey Robinson and the Temptations. Laurie holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Saxophone and Woodwinds, respectively, and a Performer’s Certificate in Saxophone from the Indiana University School of Music. Teachers include Eugene Rousseau, Fred Hemke, Marcel Josse and David Baker.